The Jury
Julian Anderson composer; Marin Alsop conductor; Jean-Efflam Bavouzet pianist; Yefim Bronfman pianist; Iain Burnside pianist; Semyon Bychkov conductor; Sarah Chang violinist; Harry Christophers conductor; Natalie Clein cellist; Sarah Connolly mezzo-soprano; Imogen Cooper pianist; Joyce DiDonato mezzo-soprano; Julius Drake pianist; Thomas Dausgaard conductor; Alan Gilbert conductor; Hélène Grimaud pianist; Hilary Hahn violinist; Steven Isserlis cellist; Marc-André Hamelin pianist; Angela Hewitt pianist; Stephen Hough pianist; Alina Ibragimova violinist; Neeme Järvi conductor; Kirill Karabits conductor; Andrew Litton conductor; Anne Akiko Meyers violinist; Jonathan Nott conductor; Gianandrea Noseda conductor; Anne Sofie von Otter mezzo-soprano; Vasily Petrenko conductor; Peter Phillips conductor; Philippe Quint violinist; Stephen Rice conductor; Yevgeny Sudbin pianist; Mark Wigglesworth conductor; Elizabeth Watts soprano; David Zinman conductor
The Recordings
Albéniz Iberia
Alicia de Laroccha pf
Decca
As idiomatic as Albéniz performances get
L Andriessen Writing to Vermeer
Asko/Schönberg Ens / Reinbert de Leeuw
Nonesuch
Vermeer’s life, as told by Louis Andriessen
Atterberg Cello Concerto
Truls Mørk vc Norrlands Opera SO / Kristjan Järvi
BIS
Mørk and Järvi combine to dynamic effect
Bach Brandenburg Concertos
Musica Antiqua Köln / Reinhard Goebel
DG
Exciting Brandenburgs despite fierce competition
Bach Concerto for Two Violins and Strings, BWV1043
Yehudi Menuhin, George Enescu vns Paris SO / Pierre Monteux
Warner Classics
Warm-hearted readings from Menuhin and Enescu
Bach Orchestral Suites
English Concert / Trevor Pinnock
Archiv
Pinnock drives his English Concert to joyful heights
Bach Goldberg Variations (1955 recording)
Glenn Gould pf
Sony
The recording that launched Gould’s career
Bach Goldberg Variations (1981 recording)
Glenn Gould pf
Sony
Gould’s less showy Goldberg remake
Bach The Well-Tempered Clavier
Samuil Feinberg pf
Russian Disc
For some Bach devotees, Feinberg was the interpreter par excellence
Bach The Well-Tempered Clavier
Edwin Fischer pf
Warner Classics
This recording is justly regarded as a flowing, unforced classic
Bach The Well-Tempered Clavier
Andras Schiff pf
Decca
Schiff offers a more modern, characteristically intelligent and powerful account
Bach Organ Music
Helmut Walcha org
Archiv
Austere Bach from the great German organist
Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin
Gidon Kremer vn
ECM
Dazzling, continuously surprising playing from Gidon Kremer
Bach Cello Suites
Pablo Casals vc
Warner Classics
Casals magnificently made the case for these now much-recorded works
Bach Cello Suites
Steven Isserlis vc
Hyperion
Dance is the watchword for Isserlis’s joyful traversal, superbly played
Bach/Siloti Adagio from Toccata, Adagio & Fugue, BWV564
Pablo Casals vc
Naxos
The great Spanish cellist, deft and profound
Bach Mass in B minor
Vienna Boys’ Choir, Vienna Concentus Musicus / Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Warner
A characteristically individual view
Bach Mass in B minor
Sols; BBC Sym Chorus, New Philh Orch / Otto Klemperer
Warner Classics
A monumental and meticulous Mass recording
Bach St Matthew Passion
Monteverdi Choir; English Baroque Soloists / John Eliot Gardiner
Archiv
Theatricality and clarity combined
Bach St Matthew Passion
Sols; Collegium Vocale Ghent / Philippe Herreweghe
Harmonia Mundi
Herreweghe’s later recording is highly polished
Bartók Concerto for Orchestra
Budapest Fest Orch / Iván Fischer
Philips
Character and panache in a stunning recording
Bartók Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta. Divertimento
COE / Nikolaus Harnoncourt
RCA
Harnoncourt’s Bartók eschews sentimentality
Bartók String Quartets
Emerson Qt
DG
High-powered, Gramophone Award-winning performances from the Emersons
Bartók String Quartets
Hagen Qt
DG
Adventure and rich imagination – one of the Hagen Quartet’s finest albums
Bartók Duke Bluebeard’s Castle
Sols incl Christa Ludwig, Walter Berry; LSO / István Kertész
Decca
Ludwig and Berry are superb leads – a classic
Beethoven Symphonies
COE / Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Teldec
Freshly conceived, Harnoncourt reinvents Beethoven for our age on period instruments
Beethoven Symphonies
Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen / Paavo Järvi
RCA
Big-boned yet lithe new cycle
Beethoven Symphonies
London Classical Plyrs / Roger Norrington
Erato
Revolutionary performances that still pack a punch
Beethoven Symphonies
Chicago SO / Georg Solti
Decca
Beethoven in all his fury and might, Solti-style, with the Chicago players in blazing form
Beethoven Symphony No 4
BPO / Wilhelm Furtwängler
Archipel
Beethoven as conceived by Furtwängler: leave your preconceptions at the door
Beethoven Symphony No 5
VPO / Wilhelm Furtwängler
DG
By turns incendiary and incandescent, this is a magnificent Fifth
Beethoven Symphonies Nos 5 & 7
VPO / Carlos Kleiber
DG
One of the all-time great recordings – Kleiber and the Vienna Philharmonic are electric
Beethoven Symphony No 9
NBC SO / Arturo Toscanini
RCA
More flexible than his reputation would suggest, and Toscanini’s NBC are irresistible
Beethoven Piano Concerto No 2
Arthur Rubinstein pf LPO / Daniel Barenboim
RCA
The LPO provide splendour to match Rubinstein
Beethoven Violin Concerto
David Oistrakh vn French Nat RSO / André Cluytens
Oistrakh is wonderful, all passion and heart
Beethoven Violin Concerto
Thomas Zehetmair vn Orch of the 18th Century / Frans Brüggen
Phillips
Zehetmair is forceful and nuanced on a great disc
Beethoven Triple Concerto
David Oistrakh vn Mstislav Rostropovich vc Sviatoslav Richter pf BPO / Herbert von Karajan
Warner Classics
Four legends together and they don’t disappoint
Beethoven Cello Sonatas
Pablo Casals vc Rudolf Serkin pf
Sony
Magical playing from two titans in perfect accord with each another
Beethoven Piano Trio No 7, ‘Archduke’, Op 97
Wilhelm Kempff pf Henryk Szeryng vn Pierre Fournier vc
DG
Searching, witty, perfectly shaped performances
Beethoven Middle String Quartets
Budapest Qt
Bridge
For years a natural first choice
Beethoven Late String Quartets
Budapest Qt
Bridge
Authoritative reading by an iconic ensemble
Beethoven Late String Quartets
Alban Berg Qt
Warner Classics
A divisive set – too beautiful, or the more moving for it?
Beethoven Piano Sonatas
Artur Schnabel pf
Nuova Era
Daring and decorum in equal measure in this landmark sonata cycle
Beethoven Piano Sonatas
Alfred Brendel pf
Decca
Characteristic insight and intelligence from Brendel, Beethoven as poetry
Beethoven Piano Sonatas Nos 12-14, Opp 26 & 27
Glenn Gould pf
Sony
Gould as ever is his own man, which is to say, a genius – to some
Beethoven Piano Sonata No 29, ‘Hammerklavier’, Op 106
Maurizio Pollini pf
DG
Pollini is a structural master – “One huge exhalation of creative breath”, said Gramophone
Berg Piano Sonata, Op 1
Glenn Gould pf
Sony
Gould’s unique take on Berg’s early work still fascinates today
Berlioz Roméo et Juliette
Boston SO / Seiji Ozawa
DG
Lovely singing enhances Seiji Ozawa’s showpiece conception
Berlioz Symphonie fantastique
RCO / Colin Davis
Pentatone
If it’s Berlioz, say many, it has to be Colin Davis!
Bernstein Mass
Absolute Ensemble; Lower Austria Tonkünstler Orch / Kristjan Järvi
Chandos
A thrilling account of Bernstein’s rediscovered Mass
Bernstein West Side Story – Symphonic Dances Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
LAPO / Leonard Bernstein pf
DG
Fascinating rhythm in two iconic American scores
Bizet Carmen
Sols incl Marilyn Horne; Met Op, New York / Leonard Bernstein
DG
Carmen, Bernstein-style: swaggering, charismatic
Brahms Symphonies
BPO / Nikolaus Harnonourt
Teldec
Harnoncourt’s Brahms is idiomatic, though there’s plenty of fascinating musical exploration
Brahms Symphonies
Leningrad PO / Evgeny Mravinsky
Doremi
The legendary Russian maestro does Brahms
Brahms Symphony No 1
VPO / Carlo Maria Giulini
DG
Power and elegance go hand in hand with Giulini’s Brahms, with the VPO on terrific form
Brahms Symphony No 1
BPO / Wilhelm Furtwängler
Tahra
Incandescent, elemental playing from the Berliners under Furtwängler
Brahms Symphony No 3
VPO / Carlo Maria Giulini
DG
The great partnership of the Vienna Phil and Giulini caught at its finest
Brahms Symphony No 4. Haydn Variations
BPO / Claudio Abbado
DG
For many the Haydn Variations are the jewel here, richly characterised, superbly varied
Brahms Piano Concertos
Julius Katchen pf LSO / Pierre Monteux; János Ferencsik
Decca
Awesome virtuosity and highly sensitive playing
Brahms Piano Concerto No 1
Clifford Curzon pf LSO / George Szell
Decca
Soloist and conductor at their peaks, an old favourite
Brahms. Bruch Violin Concertos
Sarah Chang vn Dresden PO / Kurt Masur
Warner Classics
Old-school conductor meets brilliant young soloist
Brahms Violin Concerto
David Oistrakh vn Cleveland Orch / George Szell
Warner Classics
The king of violinists on scintillating form
Brahms Double Concerto
Wolfgang Schneiderhan vn János Starker vc Berlin RSO / Ferenc Fricsay
DG
A perfect partnership
Brahms Piano Quartets
Arthur Rubinstein pf Guarneri Qt
RCA
Rubinstein the veteran joins the young Guarneris
Brahms String Sextet No 2
Jascha Heifetz vn et al
RCA
Heifetz as ever is technically brilliant but wonderfully songful here, too
Brahms Rhapsodies, Op 79. Klavierstücke, Opp 117-119
Radu Lupu pf
Decca
Revelations pour over each other from one of the great Brahmsians of our day
Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem
Charlotte Margiono sop Rodney Gilfry bar Monteverdi Choir; ORR / John Eliot Gardiner
Decca
A heavenly reading from Gardiner
Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem
Elizabeth Schwarzkopf sop Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau bar Philh Chorus; Philh Orch / Otto Klemperer
Warner Classics
Juggernaut power in Klemperer’s famous recording
Britten String Quartets Nos 2 & 3
Amadeus Qt
Decca
The third quartet here was written for these players, and they play superbly
Britten Peter Grimes
Sols incl Jon Vickers; Royal Opera / Colin Davis
Philips
Britten hated Vickers’s Grimes, thousands loved it
Bruckner Symphonies
Staatskapelle Dresden / Eugen Jochum
Warner Classics
Highly charged, romantically intense Bruckner
Bruckner Symphony No 8
BPO / Herbert von Karajan
DG
Jochum’s Eighth is his weak point but Karajan’s radiates warmth and splendour
MA Charpentier La reniement de St Pierre
Les Arts Florissants / William Christie
Harmonia Mundi
Vivid performances of this rarely heard masterwork
Chopin Piano Sonata No 3, etc
Mikhail Pletnev pf
DG
Amazing playing and bold insights go hand in hand with Pletnev
Chopin Preludes
Alfred Cortot pf
Warner Classics
Scintillating expressiveness in a recording that is part of gramophone history
Debussy La mer
Cleveland Orch / Pierre Boulez
DG
There’s mystery as well as clarity in Boulez’s La mer recordings
Debussy Préludes
Krystian Zimerman pf
DG
There’s a compelling intensity of character to these dazzling performances
Debussy. Fauré Mélodies
Victoria de los Angeles sop
Warner Classics
The entirely musical and natural art of
De los Angeles caught in Debussy and Fauré
Debussy Pelléas et Mélisande
BPO / Herbert von Karajan
Warner Classics
Pelléas meets Wagner’s Tristan in this controversial (to some, overheated) reading
Dutilleux Orchestral Works
BBC Philharmonic / Yan Pascal Tortelier
Chandos
Tortelier commands the demands of Dutilleux
Dvořák Symphonies
LSO / István Kertész
Decca
By turns explosive and searchingly lyrical, Kertész’s is the classic Dvořák set
Dvořák Symphonies
Czech PO / Vaclav Neumann
Supraphon
Neumann’s rival to Kertész features terrific playing
Dvořák Piano Trio No 3
Beaux Arts Trio
Philips
Georgeously lyrical and integrated playing from the Beaux Arts Trio
Elgar Symphony No 1. Falstaff
LSO / Edward Elgar
Warner Classics
Restless, probing interpretations in the composer’s knowing hands
Elgar Violin Concerto. Cello Concerto
Yehudi Menuhin vn Beatrice Harrison vc
LSO; New SO / Edward Elgar
Warner Classics
Essential for Elgarians, two inspired performances
Elgar Enigma Variations
LSO / Pierre Monteux
Decca
Monteux’s famous Enigma with LSO forces still feels fresh and revealing
Elgar The Dream of Gerontius
Sols incl Janet Baker; Hallé Orch / John Barbirolli
Warner Classics
Janet Baker is magnificent in this moving Gerontius
Enescu Oedipe
Monte Carlo PO / Lawrence Foster
Warner Classics
A starry reclamation for Enescu’s epic opera
Falla El sombrero de tres picos
Philh Orch / Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos
Warner Classics
Theatricality abounds in this Spanish journey
Fauré Choral Works
Chorale Gabriel Fauré
Vox Unique (LP)
Fauré’s choral works reimagined for boys’ choir and organ
Franck Violin Sonata
Jacqueline du Pré vc Daniel Barenboim pf
Warner Classics
Intimate music-making from du Pré and Barenboim
Goldenthal Fire Water Paper: A Vietnam Oratorio
Pacific SO / Carl St Clair
Sony
A spectacular, heartfelt Vietnam memorial from Copland pupil Elliott Goldenthal
Grieg. Schumann Piano Concertos
Leon Fleisher pf Cleveland Orch / George Szell
Sony
For many, the finest accounts of these works
Handel Concerti grossi, Op 6
AAM / Andrew Manze
Harmonia Mundi
Alert, alive and light-footed, Manze and the players clearly have a ball
Haydn ‘Paris’ Symphonies
Tonkünstler Orchestra / Kristjan Järvi
Preiser
Rich-toned recordings from the Musikverein
P Henry Apocalypse de Jean
Philips (LP)
A fine example of the music of French electronic-school composer Pierre Henry
Humperdinck Hänsel und Gretel
Sols incl Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau; Munich RO / Kurt Eichhorn
RCA
Brilliant playing in a set often unfairly overlooked
Janáček The Cunning Little Vixen
Sols incl Lucia Popp; VPO / Charles Mackerras
Decca
Mackerras is incomparable in this repertoire
Josquin Desprez Masses
A Sei Voci
Naïve
A Sei Voci explore Josquin for the Naïve label
Knussen Horn Concerto. Flourish with Fireworks, etc
Barry Tuckwell hn London Sinf / Oliver Knussen
DG
Bewitching music from composer Oliver Knussen
Kodály Cello Sonatas
János Starker vc
Delos
Kodály was a great János Starker admirer and the cellist here shows why
Korngold Between Two Worlds
Berlin RSO / John Mauceri
Decca
Korngold’s film score turned into a tone-poem and evocatively conducted by John Mauceri
Lassus Lamentations of Jeremiah
Ens Vocal Européen / Philippe Herreweghe
Harmonia Mundi
A fine display of intense, mesmeric contemplation
Liszt A Faust Symphony
Hans-Peter Blochwitz ten Budapest Fest Orch / Iván Fischer
Philips
Brilliantly alert, with a touch of Satanic wit
Liszt A Faust Symphony
Siegfried Jerusalem ten Chicago SO /
Georg Solti
Decca
Beauty, power, excitement and lyrical singing
Liszt Totentanz
Alfred Brendel pf LPO / Bernard Haitink
Philips
Brendel brings dignity and tension to Liszt
Mahler Symphonies
Israel PO, NYPO, LSO / Leonard Bernstein
Sony
Bernstein in earth-shaking form with the Israel Phil
Mahler Symphonies
Bavarian RSO / Rafael Kubelík
DG
Kubelík, one of the first and among the finest Mahler advocates
Mahler Symphonies Nos 1-4
NYPO / Leonard Bernstein
DG
Bernstein again, this time with the polish of the New York Philharmonic
Mahler Symphony No 4
Judith Raskin sop Cleveland Orch / George Szell
Sony
Deep feeling in one of Szell’s finest hours
Mahler Symphony No 4
San Francisco SO / Michael Tilson Thomas
SFS
A Bernstein pupil in dramatic vein and great sound
Mahler Symphony No 5
VPO / Leonard Bernstein
DG
Bernstein had to persuade the Austrians to love Mahler, with fabulous results
Mahler Symphony No 5
Bavarian RSO / Rafael Kubelík
Audite
Kubelík in the studio is great, live he’s even better
BPO / Claudio Abbado
DG
A deserving Gramophone Record of the Year
Mahler Symphony No 9
VPO / Simon Rattle
Warner Classics
Violent intensity and sweetness in Rattle’s Vienna Mahler Ninth
Mahler Symphony No 10
Bournemouth SO / Simon Rattle
Warner Classics
Passion and commitment in Rattle’s overpowering championing of Mahler’s Tenth Symphony
Mahler Lieder
Janet Baker mez Hallé Orch / John Barbirolli
Warner Classics
Includes the classic Rückert-Lieder recording
B Mantovani Le sette chiese
Ens Intercontemporain / Susanna Mälkki
Kairos
Mälkki’s showcase for the young French composer
Messiaen Turangalîla-Symphonie
Bastille Op Orch / Myung-Whun Chung
DG
Messiaen’s own favourite recording of this work
Messiaen Vingt regards sur l’Enfant-Jésus
Pierre-Laurent Aimard pf
Teldec
Music of devotion and playing of simply stunning virtuosity
Messiaen Saint François d’Assise
Sols incl José van Dam; Hallé Orch / Kent Nagano
DG
Messiaen’s only opera – and his magnum opus
Morricone Gabriel’s Oboe from The Mission
Virgin
Ennio Morricone’s seminal music from the 1986 Jeremy Irons film
Mozart Symphonies Nos 40 & 41
English Baroque Soloists / John Eliot Gardiner
Decca
Dramatic accounts of the last two symphonies
Mozart Piano Concertos Nos 20, 21, 25 & 27
Friedrich Gulda pf VPO / Claudio Abbado
DG
Impassioned advocacy of these popular concertos
Mozart Concerto for Two Pianos, K365
Geza Anda, Clara Haskil pfs Philh Orch / Alceo Galliera
Warner Classics
Two great players present a united front
Mozart Horn Concertos
Dennis Brain hn Philh Orch / Herbert von Karajan
Warner Classics
Flawless solo playing in the classic recording
Mozart Sonata for Two Pianos, K448
Radu Lupu, Murray Perahia pfs
Sony
Two great pianists, one great sonata captured at Snape Maltings
Mozart Requiem
Sols incl Stephan Schreckenberger; Le Concert des Nations / Jordi Savall
Astrée
Savall’s intimate reading of Mozart’s final work
Mozart Così fan tutte
Sols incl Elizabeth Schwarzkopf; Philh Orch / Karl Böhm
Warner Classics
Böhm’s finest Mozart opera set, with a dream cast
Mozart Don Giovanni
Sols incl Rodney Gilfry; English Baroque Soloists / John Eliot Gardiner
Archiv
An energetic interpretation, as compelling as any
Mozart Don Giovanni
Sols incl Joan Sutherland; Philh Orch / Carlo Maria Giulini
Warner Classics
Giulini’s Giovanni – grand and theatrical
Mozart Idomeneo
Sols incl Anne Sofie Von Otter; English Baroque Soloists / John Eliot Gardiner
Archiv
The most vital of Idomeneo recordings
Mozart Idomeneo
Sols incl Werner Hollweg; Zürich Op / Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Teldec
The 1781 version played for dramatic intensity
Mozart Le nozze di Figaro
Sols incl Bryn Terfel; English Baroque Soloists / John Eliot Gardiner
Archiv
A hugely enjoyable yet intimate Figaro
Mozart Le nozze di Figaro
Sols incl Simon Keenlyside; Concerto Köln / René Jacobs
Harmonia Mundi
Jacobs’s conducting is sparkling and mischievous
Mozart Le nozze di Figaro
Sols incl Kiri te Kanawa; LPO / Georg Solti
Decca
A starry cast bristles with theatricality
Mozart Die Zauberflöte
Vienna St Op / Georg Solti
Decca
Solti’s best-loved Mozart recording, a Zauberflöte to crown his career
Myaskovsky Symphonies
USSR State SO, Russian Federation SO / Evgeny Svetlanov
Warner Classics
Svetlanov rescued these symphonies from neglect
Muhly Mothertongue
Bedroom Community
The bright young thing’s genre-defying collection of miniatures
Nancarrow Studies for Player Piano
Wergo
As unique as they are unpredictable, these studies are revelatory ear-openers
Nørgård Symphony No 3
Danish Nat RSO / Leif Segerstam
Chandos
A modern masterpiece played with fire
Paganini 24 Caprices
Michael Rabin vn
Warner Classics
Every detail can be heard with razor-sharp clarity on this supreme disc
Pärt In principio
Estonian Philh Chbr Choir; Estonian Nat SO / Tõnu Kaljuste
ECM
Exhilaration, piety and lamentation mingle
Praetorius Mass for Christmas Morning
Gabrieli Consort / Paul McCreesh
Archiv
A powerful testament to the expression of faith
Prokofiev Symphonies
LSO / Valery Gergiev
Philips
The blazing live performances that won Gergiev his job at the helm of the LSO
Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 3
Martha Argerich pf Montreal SO / Charles Dutoit
Warner Classics
Argerich’s response is utterly personal and vivacious
Prokofiev Piano Concerto No 5. Piano Sonata No 8
Sviatoslav Richter pf Warsaw PO / Witold Rowicki
DG
Sizzling account of a difficult-to-pin-down concerto
Prokofiev Love for Three Oranges
Kirov Op / Valery Gergiev
Philips
An exciting live recording from Amsterdam, featuring a young Anna Netrebko
Puccini La bohème
Sols incl Luciano Pavarotti; BPO / Herbert von Karajan
Decca
A grand Bohème, with Pavarotti and Mirella Freni
Puccini Tosca
Sols incl Maria Callas; La Scala, Milan / Victor de Sabata
Warner Classics
One of the greatest achievements on record
Purcell Complete Anthems and Services
King’s Consort / Robert King
Hyperion
A fine recording, immaculately delivered, and boasting some exceptional soloists
Purcell Dido and Aeneas
Sols incl Sarah Connolly; OAE / Elizabeth Kenny, Steven Devine
Chandos
Connolly’s exquisitely sung Dido leads a great cast
Rachmaninov Symphony No 3
Philadelphia Orch / Sergei Rachmaninov
Pearl
The composer conducts his own work
Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances
St Petersburg PO / Mariss Jansons
Warner Classics
Glorious playing and wonderful, expansive conducting from a true podium master
Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances
Moscow PO / Kyrill Kondrashin
Melodiya
A Soviet-era recording full of vigour
Rachmaninov Piano Concertos
Zoltan Kocsis pf San Francisco SO / Edo de Waart
Philips
Fast, light, incisive – Kocsis is on top form
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No 3
Evgeny Kissin pf Boston SO / Seiji Ozawa
RCA
Phenomenal virtuosity from Kissin with Ozawa
Rachmaninov “Rachmaninov plays Rachmaninov”
Sergei Rachmaninov pf
RCA
The first virtuoso pianist-composer of the recording era: these discs remain fascinating
Rachmaninov Vespers
Robert Shaw Festival Singers / Robert Shaw
Telarc
Shaw coaxes great warmth from his singers
Rameau Une symphonie imaginaire
Les Musiciens du Louvre / Marc Minkowski
Archiv
A great Baroque conductor meets a great composer
Rautavaara Cantus Arcticus
Leipzig RSO / Max Pommer
Ondine
A compelling work that beautifully captures the Finnish composer’s evocative sound world
Ravel Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
Samson François pf Paris Conservatoire Orch / André Cluytens
Warner Classics
François plays with tremendous vitality and spirit
Ravel Daphnis et Chloé
Montreal SO / Charles Dutoit
Decca
Has Ravel’s score ever sounded quite as ravishing?
Ravel Shéhérazade
Régine Crespin sop SRO / Ernest Ansermet
Decca
Régine Crespin at her idiosyncratic, seductive best
Reich Different Trains
Kronos Qt
Nonesuch
Reich’s response to the tragic human cost of war is authoritatively performed
Reich Different Trains. Triple Quartet
Smith Qt
Signum
An equally moving response, the Smith players’ recording is paired with another minimalist classic
M Richter 24 Postcards in Full Colour
Sols incl Max Richter pf
FatCat Records
A conceptual exercise that created a work of surprising musical beauty using mobile ringtones
Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No 4
Alfred Cortot pf Paris Conservatoire Orch / Charles Munch
Naxos
Delicate poetry and an astonishing conclusion
Salonen Wing on Wing
Finnish RSO / Esa-Pekka Salonen
DG
Salonen’s celebration of architecture and nature – incorporating Frank Gehry’s voice
Schubert Symphonies Nos 5, 6, 8 & 9
Salzburg Camerata; Salzburg Mozarteum Orch / Sandor Végh
Capriccio
Collegiate music-making in Schubert
Schubert Symphony No 8
VPO / Carlos Kleiber
DG
Kleiber’s laser-like concentration brought to bear on Schubert’s Eighth
Schubert Symphony No 8
Leningrad PO / Evgeny Mravinsky
Melodiya
Showing why Mravinsky is one of the greats
Schubert Symphonies Nos 8 & 9
VPO, BPO / Wilhelm Furtwängler
Archipel
An archive alternative to the famous DG recording
Schubert Symphony No 9, ‘Great’
BPO / Wilhelm Furtwängler
DG 447 439-2GOR
Furtwängler pushes forwards with excitement but also with an awareness of the work’s architecture
Schubert String Quintet, D956
Orrea Pernel, Jacob Krachmalnick vns Karen Tuttle va Pablo Casals, Madeleine Foley vcs
Music & Arts
Exceptional lead-violin work
Schubert ‘Trout’ Quintet, D667
Clifford Curzon pf Members of the Vienna Octet
Decca
A “Trout” that’s bursting with character
Schubert ‘Trout’ Quintet, D667
Emil Gilels pf Amadeus Quartet
DG
Excellent balance between strings and piano, super-sensitive playing from Gilels
Schubert ‘Trout’ Quintet, D667
Hephzibah Menuhin pf Amadeus Quartet
Warner Classics
An individual reading from Hephzibah Menuhin
Schubert Complete Music for Piano Four Hands
Yaara Tal, Andreas Groethuysen pf
Sony
A splendidly clear yet atmospheric recording
Schubert Variations on an Original Theme, D813
Sviatoslav Richter, Benjamin Britten pf
Decca
A fascinating document of a live Britten recording
Schubert Fantasia, D940. Mozart: Sonata, K488
Radu Lupu, Murray Perahia pfs
Sony
Two pianists reveal the music’s innermost secrets
Schubert Schwanengesang
Peter Schreier ten András Schiff pf
Wigmore Hall Live
A legendary partnership is profoundly satisfying
Schubert Winterreise
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau bar Jörg Demus pf
DG
Fischer-Dieskau’s third recording of Winterreise
Schubert Winterreise
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau bar Gerald Moore pf
DG
A powerful portrayal from the great baritone
Schoenberg A Survivor from Warsaw
Gottfried Hornik narr VPO / Claudio Abbado
DG
Abbado harnesses the visceral impact of this work
Schumann Symphonies
ORR / John Eliot Gardiner
Archiv
A winning combination of scholarship and insight
Schumann Symphonies
Cleveland Orch / George Szell
Sony
Szell’s typically classical approach produces a full, natural orchestral sound
Schumann Collected Lieder
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau bar Christoph Eschenbach pf
DG
Fischer-Dieskau’s experience shows in every bar
Schumann Dichterliebe, Op 48
Ian Bostridge ten Julius Drake pf
Warner Classics
Bostridge interprets all these songs as much through the mind of the poet as the composer
Schumann Dichterliebe, Op 48
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau bar Christoph Eschenbach pf
DG
Fischer-Dieskau is the master of this repertoire
Scriabin Piano Works
Vladimir Sofronitsky
Philips
Sofronitsky was so associated with these works, he was even married to Scriabin’s daughter
Sheppard Church Music
The Sixteen / Harry Christophers
Hyperion
The Sixteen shed light on a neglected genius
Shostakovich Symphonies Nos 5-8, 10-12 & 15
Evgeny Mravinsky
Melodiya
Mravinsky premiered six Shostakovich symphonies and that frisson is conveyed here
Shostakovich Symphony No 7
St Petersburg PO / Yuri Temirkanov
RCA
A monumental recording from Temirkanov
Shostakovich Symphony No 14
Moscow CO / Rudolf Barshai
Russian Disc
Sombre symphony played with great force
Shostakovich Symphony No 15
Cleveland Orch / Kurt Sanderling
Elatus
Sanderling highlights Shostakovich’s dark intent
Shostakovich. Tchaikovsky Violin Concertos
David Oistrakh vn Philadelphia Orch / Eugene Ormandy, NYPO / Dimitri Mitropoulos
Sony
Shostakovich Violin Concerto No 1
David Oistrakh vn Leningrad PO /
Evgeny Mravinsky
RCA
Another intense Oistrakh Shostakovich No 1
Shostakovich String Quartet No 8
Borodin Qt
Melodiya
The Borodins’ no-nonsense, uninhibited approach suits this diverse work perfectly
Sibelius Symphony No 2
LSO / Colin Davis
RCA
Davis’s second Sibelius cycle yielded this utterly convincing and natural recording
Stockhausen Gesang der Jünglinge. Kontakte
Karlheinz Stockhausen elec
DG (LP)
The great rule-breaker in person
J Strauss II Die Fledermaus
Bavarian St Op / Carlos Kleiber
DG
Kleiber picked his operas carefully and this is a flamboyant treat
R Strauss Ein Heldenleben
BPO / Herbert von Karajan
DG
One of Karajan’s signature, and most refulgent, BPO recordings
R Strauss Vier letzte Lieder
Elizabeth Schwarzkopf sop Berlin Rad SO / George Szell
Warner Classics
For some, this recording will never be surpassed
R Strauss Vier letzte Lieder
Gundula Janowitz sop BPO / Herbert von Karajan
DG
Strong competition for the Schwarzkopf classic
R Strauss Der Rosenkavalier
Sols incl Gwyneth Jones; Bavarian Staatsoper Orch / Carlos Kleiber
DG DVD
An iconic Rosenkavalier from Carlos Kleiber
R Strauss Der Rosenkavalier
Sols incl Régine Crespin; VPO / Georg Solti
Decca
Solti knew Strauss and stamps his authority here
Stravinsky Symphonies
SRO / Ernest Ansermet
Decca
Lively, stylish and individual, Ansermet’s Stravinsky was always an event
Stravinsky The Firebird
CBSO / Simon Rattle
Warner Classics
Unbelievably intense power comes from Rattle’s attention to the tiniest details
Stravinsky The Rite of Spring
Cleveland Orch / Pierre Boulez
DG
Precision and seismic power from Boulez and the Cleveland Orchestra
Stravinsky The Rite of Spring
Kirov Orch / Valery Gergiev
Philips
Gergiev makes you listen anew and finds elemental fury
Tallis Church Music
Clerkes of Oxenford / David Wulstan
CfP
This album enshrines perhaps the finest Spem in alium on record
Tchaikovsky Symphonies Nos 4-6
LSO / Igor Markevitch
Philips
Superbly gripping Tchaikovsky from Markevitch and his London forces
Tchaikovsky Symphonies Nos 4-6
Leningrad PO / Evgeny Mravinsky
DG
Slavonically intense, sometimes at breakneck speeds – these are old favourites
Tchaikovsky Symphony No 6
VPO / Valery Gergiev
Philips
The Vienna strings are exceptional for Gergiev’s full-bodied Pathétique
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 1
Emil Gilels pf State Academic SO / Evgeny Svetlanov
Melodiya
A star pairing to reinvigorate a great warhorse
Tchaikovsky Mélodie, Op 42 No 3
Daniil Shafran vc Nina Musinian pf
Brilliant Classics
Discover a brilliant but often-overlooked cellist
Tchaikovsky The Queen of Spades
Kirov Op / Valery Gergiev
Philips
A marvellously consistent recording of this tricky but volcanic opera
Tubin Complete Symphonies. Kratt
Estonian Nat SO / Arvo Volmer
Alba
Impressive performances of an Estonian composer
Verdi Requiem
NBC SO / Arturo Toscanini
RCA
No one conjured the terror of the heavens in this work like Toscanini
Verdi Requiem
Sols incl Elisabeth Schwarzkopf; Philharmonic Orch / Carlo Maria Giulini
Warner Classics
A profoundly spiritual reading from Giulini
Verdi Don Carlo
Sols incl José Carreras, Mirella Freni; BPO / Herbert von Karajan
Warner Classics
The four-act version, with Karajan on fire
Verdi Rigoletto (Ponnelle film)
DG DVD
Pavarotti enjoys himself in Ponnelle’s sumptuous film, but Ingvar Wixell is a blistering Rigoletto
Verdi La traviata
Sols incl Ileana Cotrubas, Plácido Domingo; Bavarian St Op / Carlos Kleiber
DG
Textual cuts are the only blot on a moving Traviata
Victoria Requiem
Tallis Scholars / Peter Phillips
Gimell
A benchmark recording of the Victoria Requiem from Peter Phillips’s Tallis Scholars
Vivaldi The Four Seasons
Enrico Onofri vn Il Giardino Armonico / Paolo Grazzi
Teldec
A wonderfully evocative Four Seasons
Vivaldi The Four Seasons
Joseph Silverstein vn Boston SO / Seiji Ozawa
Telarc
One of the finest versions of this perennial work
WagnerDie Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Sols incl Domingo, Fischer-Dieskau, Deutsche Oper Orch / Eugen Jochum
DG 477 7559GOR4
Fischer-Dieskau is humane and moving as Hans Sachs
Wagner Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Staatsakapelle Dresden / Herbert von Karajan
Warner Classics
Karajan coaxes glorious sounds from his players
Wagner Parsifal
Sols incl Peter Hoffmann, Dunja Vejzovic, Kurt Moll; BPO / Herbert von Karajan
DG
Long-admired as a classic Parsifal
Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen
Bayreuth Fest Orch / Joseph Keilberth
Testament
One of the great archive finds of recent years
Wagner Der Ring des Nibelungen
VPO / Georg Solti
Decca
A spectacular and dramatic interpretation, all Ring-lovers will want this in their collections
Wagner Tristan und Isolde
Sols incl Birgit Nilsson; Bayreuth Fest Orch / Karl Böhm
DG
Nilsson in incandescent form, live at Bayreuth
Wagner Tristan und Isolde
Staatskapelle Dresden / Carlos Kleiber
DG
Sleek conducting underpins a seductive Tristan
Wieniawski. Saint-Saëns. Sarasate Violin works
Jascha Heifetz vn LSO / Sir John Barbirolli
RCA
Wieniawski-champion Heifetz presents an ardent case
Wolf Spanisches Liederbuch
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf sop Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau bar Gerald Moore pf
DG
Features both singers at the peaks of their career
Xenakis Jonchaies
Luxembourg PO / Arturo Tamayo
Timpani
Committed performances from Tamayo’s Luxembourg forces
Ysaÿe Complete Violin Recordings
Eugène Ysaÿe vn
Sony
Ysaÿe playing his own recordings – a real collector’s item
BA Zimmermann Présence
Aloys Kontarsky pf Saschko Gawriloff vn
Siegfried Palm vc
DG
A penetrating look into the heart of this composer
BA Zimmermann Requiem für einen jungen Dichter
Sols; Holland Symphonia / Bernhard Kontarsky
Cybèle
An unsettling scream of an anti-war work
“The Art of Michael Rabin”
Michael Rabin vn
Warner Classics
A lovely collection celebrating the brilliant Heifetz protégé, beautifully recorded
“Hush”
Bobby McFerrin; Yo-Yo Ma
Sony Classical
The great cellist meets Bobby McFerrin in this fabulously unique album
“Live at Steinway Hall”
Cornelius Claudio Kreusch pf
Available to download
Hard-to-categorise improvisations by the German pianist
“Mad Scenes”
Maria Callas
Warner Classics (download only)
The unique Maria Callas caught at her most histrionically impressive
Music from the Eton Choirbook, Vol 2
Purcell Consort of Voices / Grayston Burgess
Argo (LP)
An uplifting example of the Consort at their best
“My Soul doth magnify the Lord”
St Paul’s Cathedral Choir / John Scott
Hyperion
A rich anthology presented with soul-stirring animation
“New Year’s Day Concerts 1989 & 1992”
VPO / Carlos Kleiber
Sony
Superb New Year’s Day concerts from Vienna under Carlos Kleiber
“Officium”
Jan Garbarek sax Hilliard Ens
ECM
Ancient chant meets jazz-style improvisation in this remarkable disc
“Signature”
Ensemble Organum / Marcel Pérès
Harmonia Mundi
A wonderfully compiled and performed medieval music survey
“Victor Recordings of 1919-1926”
Alfred Cortot pf
Pearl
Wit and imaginative richness from the inter-war years
This article originally appeared in the June 2010 issue of Gramophone
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